There is often a need for printing on a hollow member or body which is open at one end and which has a carrying handle, generally of an arcuate loop configuration, mounted pivotally thereon. A typical example of such a hollow member is a bucket or pail, or other container such as for containing paint or similar liquids. It will be observed at this point that the apex region of the handle (to be defined in greater detail hereinafter) experiences a change in its distance from the longitudinal axis of the hollow member on which it is mounted, in the course of its pivotal movement about its pivot mounting on the hollow member. The term apex region as used in the specification means the region of the handle which is generally at the maximum distance from the points at which the handle is mounted on the hollow member, so that in the case of an arcuate handle, the apex region is the top of the arcuate curve. Thus, the term apex region is the part of the handle which is used for carrying the hollow member by means of the handle and which may possibly have a handle grip or like member mounted thereon for greater convenience of carrying.
When printing on hollow members of this kind, it is generally necessary for the carrying loop or handle to be fixed in order to prevent the handle from moving in an uncontrollable fashion during the printing operation and/or impeding access to the surface on which the printing is to be put. Thus, when such members are to be provided with printing in a rotary printing machine, the hollow members may be mounted on holding devices which are provided at appropriate positions with magnets with which the handle of the hollow member is brought into contact when the member if fitted on to the holding device, with the result that the handle is secured in a given position by the magnet. It will be appreciated however that this is only a feasible proposition if the hollow member or the like has a metal handle. This means that this arrangement cannot be used for handles of non-magnetisable material, for example plastic material. A further disadvantage is that, when the hollow member is removed from the holding device after the printing operation has been performed, the magnet may hold the handle fast, with the result that the equipment does not operate smoothly and continuously and without trouble, because the hollow member, once printed upon, cannot drop down freely from the holding device into the station at which it is to be removed for further processing.
It would be possible for the above-indicated difficulties and problems to be overcome by fitting the handle to the hollow member only after the printing operation has been carried out. This however is generally found to be a disadvantageous mode of procedure as it is easier for the handle to be fitted to a bucket or the like, which generally comprises thermoplastic material, directly after manufacture thereof. This is essentially because, directly after the bucket or like member leaves for example an injection moulding machine, it is still at a relatively elevated temperature at which the parts thereof which need to be deformed in order to be able to fit the handle thereto can be deformed more readily than is the case even only hours or even days after the bucket has been produced.